Shellac Attack! The No Chip manicure takes Serenity Spa by storm!

Does your manicure look this shiny and perfect after a week and a half? This manicure has not had one chip and still looks great after 10 days. The new Shellac nail polish from Creative is an amazing gel/polish hybrid. This half nail polish, half gel stays as perfect as the day it was applied. Up to 14 days with no chips, peeling, or dullness, all while protecting the natural nail from breaking. The service takes about the same amount of time as a regular manicure, but with no drying time. That’s right, no drying time! The nails are cured with a UV light so as soon as the last coat is cured, your nails are completely dry!

Imagine being able to have a manicure any day of the week and still look great on the  weekend. Go ahead, wash your hands 20 times a day and it won’t soften or peel like other polish.

Knowing the proof is in the proverbial pudding, I decided to test out the claims of the product with my next manicure. I’m a massage therapist, so after my manicure last Wednesday, I immediately gave a massage. Over the past 10 days, I did about 20 services with these hands, washed my hands before and after each one, did dishes, pulled weeds in the garden and planted flowers. This picture is of my hard working hands (really!) after 10 days. I even did a few manicures  and if this were a regular manicure, the polish remover would have ruined it immediately.

I’m going to a makeup class this weekend and if I’d had a regular manicure, I would be begging Jamica to fit me in today because it would look like crap! Now I can skip the frantic Friday afternoon rush at the nail salon and go in to the weekend with my nails looking great.

Shellac comes in 12 colors, from elegant french to siren red. This product is so popular that it’s  now on backorder for weeks at most beauty supply houses. We are lucky to have all the French manicure colors, and several of the more popular shades. Click here to see the colors, read about the technology and see frequently asked questions. If you’ve already heard enough and are ready to try it, click here to schedule an appointment!

Denise Willinger

Owner/ Massage Therapist/Esthetician

Serenity The Spa in Anchorage

What women REALLY want for Valentines Day!!

Hi guys,

You really don’t have a clue what she wants for Valentines Day, do you? Do you know what makes her happy, makes her smile? Any idea what means the most to her? I’ve been in the spa business a long time, and after working so closely with so many women for so long, I’ve learned a few things I’d like to pass on to you. As a disclaimer, I’d like to say that no two women are alike, so don’t take any advice unless it rings true for your woman, including anything you read here. But if you have ever heard your wife or girlfriend say any of the things I’m going to share, you might want to pay attention, because if you really listen, she’s already given you an idea of what she needs.

Unfortunately, men and women sometimes speak two different languages. When she says, “I am exhausted” she might mean “Can you PLEASE cook dinner tonight, so I can rest” or she might mean “There is no way I can keep up with the house the kids, my job and all of your needs, too, so don’t EVEN go there!” You might hear “After a short nap, I’ll be fine and will make your dinner, then give you a back rub!” So you say “Honey, why don’t you go lie down for a few minutes” and are confused when she yells at you “I don’t have time for a nap!” Sometimes when a woman makes a statement, she doesn’t want an answer or advice on fixing it, she wants you to listen, understand and work with her to find a way to meet everyone’s needs.

Women like to take care of everyone. It’s what we do. We just try to do too much of it, and get easily overwhelmed and depleted. So we complain that we’re tired or frustrated when we can’t fit it all in. Sometimes guys try to be nice by giving us a gift certificate for a meal out, a spa day, or to buy something nice for ourselves. If the woman in your life is already overloaded with things to do, she may perceive this as adding one more thing to her to do list. She’ll be grateful “Oh honey, thanks, that is sooo sweet!” and then it will sit in a drawer for a year. She finds it, feels guilty she hasn’t used it and then frantically tries to find time to fit it in to her already stressed life. Here’s an example: A customer bought his wife a 4 hour spa package. She has two-year old twins. She called 3 times to try to schedule it, then cancelled each appointment, twice because of babysitting issues and once because one of them was sick. She finally made it in and then kept her cell phone on the entire visit-even answering it while getting her massage.  This gift, while incredibly sweet, actually caused her more stress than it relieved.

What could have made the gift to this really stressed out Mom better? If Hubby had given her the gift certificate with a note saying:

To my beautiful, amazing wife,

“I know how hard you work to make everything wonderful for our family, so for one day, I want to give you some time for yourself. Your spa package is scheduled for ______________. I’ve already taken care of clearing your schedule, and I will be watching the kids, so take this day to be pampered! I love you!!”

Your Husband

On the day of her appointment, make sure to be ready to drop her off, give her cash for the gratuity, and make a huge deal to the kids about how Mommy is going to go to the spa to be treated like the queen she is! It’s super important that the kids know that Mom deserves some time for herself, and that the whole family is helping to make this a special day for her. While your wife is at the spa, you and the kids all work together to clean the house! Hey, the kids will be so excited to do something special for Mom, they will pitch in and help, (Kids love games. You can turn pretty much anything into a game and they’ll get excited about it-even cleaning!)

Now if you want to make the day really special, after picking her up, give her some time to relax and get ready for a special dinner out. Have your Mother in law keep the kids overnight and  take her out to dinner, or cook a romantic dinner for her at home! Do you see where this is leading?

OK, let’s talk about something most spa owners and almost all massage therapist avoid-sex. Men do things for women in hopes that they will get to have sex later, right? Valentines’ Day is a loaded “Hallmark holiday?” and all retailers are trying to convince you that if you buy what they are selling for your wife or girlfriend, she will fall willingly in to bed with you. After 30 years of working with women, I have heard some things that may shed some light on this subject for you.

 Remember earlier how I said women like to take care of people? Here’s a secret that many women don’t share-They sometimes just want someone to take care of them. With no strings attached. If you have laid the foundation by showing her you appreciate her, you’ve listened and worked to plan a special day just for her, she will be relaxed and happy, which is just the mood women need to be in to be responsive to your romantic overtures. 

So here’s my professional advice. Rather than running to Kroger tonight to get her a last-minute card, candy and flowers, let’s plan a really nice day for her to relax and be pampered. Click here to purchase an Instant Gift certificate to Serenity Spa. It doesn’t matter which package you choose, just pick whatever is in your budget and we’ll make it very special! Print it out on nice paper (photo paper works great!)  Click here to go to our online booking service   http://serenity-the-spa-in.genbook.com.  Book the appointment for her on a day you know she’ll be free and you will be available to take care of the kids. Now, pick up the phone and call your Mother, Mother-in-law or a babysitter and find out when they’re available to help you with your plan to pamper your wife. (Mother-in-laws LOVE this kind of thing!!) Now you can go to Kroger and buy the sweet, mushy card, put the beautiful gift certificate inside and write her a note telling her what you’ve planned for her! She will be so impressed at your thoughtfulness that you may very well get the hoped for romantic interlude  you really wanted anyway! Plus the bonus special night together on the day of her spa package!

Here’s wishing you and your lovely wife a Happy Valentines Day!

Dear Light Touch Customer:

Words can not express the sadness I feel that you’re favorite spa, the Light Touch has closed. When I heard they were closing, and that the customers were not allowed to redeem their gift cards for the service that was paid for, I realized the unfairness of this and offered to accept the gift cards at our charming spa in Anchorage. There are a few things I would like for you to know. First and foremost, we are not being compensated by the Light Touch for the gift cards. We are doing this as a service to the customers and as a gesture of goodwill to the community. The last thing I want is for customers to think that all spas are going to rip you off. So we are willing to do the service without payment to create lifelong spa customers that will be as loyal to us as they were to their former spa. There are just a few things I’d like to ask of you in return.

• Please let us know you will be using a lt gc when you book your appointment.
• Please be generous to the person giving your service. She is working for her hourly wage, without commision, as a courtesy so your needs will be met.
• Please be patient, we can only do so many complimentary appointments each week, so you may have to wait a few weeks to get in to see us. We will accept the gc’s through June, 2010, so there’s plenty of time!
• Please be honest-we have no way to check your gift card’s balance, so if you have a gc over 100.00, please bring proof of purchase.
• Please use the entire card at your visit, no cash or credit will be given, and you can not use your card toward gratuities.
• My last request is that you choose to purchase any future gift certificates from us! We make it very easy with Instant gift certificates that you can create, purchase, print and e-mail immediately.

Happy holidays- we look forward to meeting you soon!

Instant Gift Certificate

Serenity Spa Website

You’re really doing this? Are you getting paid for it? No? Are you crazy, why would you do that!?

After offering to accept the gift cards of a local spa that was suddenly closing it’s doors, much of my week consisted of conversations sounding something like this:

“Hi, I just saw on television that you were going to be accepting Light Touch gift cards after they close, is this true?”  “Yes, ma’am, it’s true.” “Really? My daughter just bought this for me in October and when I heard they were closing, I tried to make an appointment to use it and they wouldn’t let me. When I heard you were willing to take the gift cards, I didn’t believe it. Thank you so much! That is the nicest thing!! I guess now I have a new spa, when can I make an appointment?”

Trust me, there were times after I made the decision I wondered if I really was crazy!  What on earth have I gotten myself into? After all the positive feedback from everyone and seeing the benefit to my business, I know I ‘m really crazy like a fox. This is one of the best business decisions I’ve ever made. I knew that The Light Touch, who were in business for 28 years, had a very loyal customer base. By giving the customer more than they bargained for, we are creating goodwill that will last a very long time. I just knew that if I could get those customers through my doors, I could earn their  business.

My bread and butter is the regular customer. We have folks that have been coming to Serenity since it opened 6 years ago, and a handful that have stayed with me for over 25 years!  The value of a long-term customer is worth far more than the time we’ll put in giving a complimentary service. Are we getting paid for the gift cards? No, we’re not. But my staff and I are willing to forgo our commission on the service in order to earn the repeat business of the customer. We are confident that the service you receive will wow you, and by earning your trust we’ll earn your business. Then when you decide to treat a friend or loved one to a spa experience, you can purchase one of our gift cards with the confidence that we will not only be here to fulfill their service, but it will be the best darn spa experience they’ve ever had!

Here’s the fine print:

Small spa with big heart offers to accept Light Touch Gift cards after they close their doors on November 14. Serenity Spa in Anchorage has offered to honor The Light Touch Gift cards until June 2010. Up to 10 cards will be accepted each week for services including facials, massage, manicures, pedicures, microdermabrasion, glycolic peels and waxing. Unfortunately, we can not accept expired gift cards or unused packages. However, we will send a coupon for a 1/2 price service to any former Light Touch customer that signs up for our e-mails at Please call 245-6484 to schedule an appointment.

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